Bleach: Ichigo or Kaien?
by Lord Machiavelli's Understudy
Summary: AU. When Ichigo is the reincarnation of Shiba Kaien, falling in with shinigami leads to deja-vu and confusion. How will this change the plans of the various masterminds of Bleach? Eventual IchigoxRukia
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Tite Kubo owns Bleach.

There was a ghost behind him. He was trying to take a test, and there was a ghost behind him. Ichigo was doing his level best to ignore it, but it was just so annoying. It was going on and on about how it had died and how much it really, really, wanted to move on, but couldn't, and really didn't want to go to hell. Even worse than the incessant chatter, however, was the feel of it. It could have been silent and on the other side of the wall, and Ichigo would have still been able to feel the thing on the corners of his awareness. All in all it was causing him serious problems with concentrating on his test. He had no idea how Karin managed to ignore them all the time. Sheer force of will wasn't helping.

After a frankly hellish twenty minutes, the test was finally over. Turning his paper in, Ichigo sighed in relief that the day was finally over. Saying goodbye to his friends, he started heading home, ghost in tow, still muttering about its 'fate'. He only got a block or two before the frustration that the ghost had inspired in him caused him to grab it and drag it into a nearby alley. Once hopefully concealed from the street, and more importantly from the passersby who would doubtless assume that he was utterly insane for talking to and grabbing invisible objects, he threw the ghost against the wall. Not nearly as calm as he would like to be, Ichigo asked the ghost, "What do you want from me?"

"So you can see me? I thought you could. You kept twitching in class, even though you didn't say anything, and there can't possibly be many kids with bright orange hair in this town," the ghost babbled.

"My hair?" Ichigo asked blankly. He normally got comments about his hair from the living, not the dead.

"Yeah, Yumi-chan over by the overpass said that there was a kid with orange hair who could see ghosts. I didn't believe her, but some of the others who hang around the mortuary said that she was telling the truth, so I came to look for you."

"Why?" Ichigo was only half paying attention to the conversation now. Ghosts were recognizing him by his hair now? Was this why Karin was not being bothered by as many ghosts as he was? Just because she had inherited Dad's normal hair color and not some shade of Mom's red? That's just not fair.

"Well I was wondering if you had a way to keep me out of hell?" the ghost said forlornly "I don't really want to go there, but I don't want to stay here either. The older ones talk about the monsters who attack ghosts and drag them away, probably to hell, and I don't want to be another statistic!"

Ignoring the talk of monsters, which was a really common urban legend in the ghost community, Ichigo asked, "How do you expect me to know away to keep ghosts out of hell? I'm just an ordinary high school student."

"Who can see ghosts! I know I wasn't a very good person. I embezzled and cheated on my wife with the bosses secretary, but I really regret it so please, please, save me," the ghost begged awkwardly.

Ichigo just stared at him, before looking around and running out of the alley. He turned left sharply, then jumped a fence to the right. Ghosts like that were the worst kind. Most ghosts were happy to stay around the place where they died, or just wandered around. Those weren't normally a nuisance, and could actually be kind of interesting to talk to, like the young samurai who would talk about the changes in Karakura since he had been alive. That ghost was actually the oldest ghost that Ichigo had personally met. He supposed that most eventually moved on. The second kind just wanted him to do something. Normally that something minor, like sending a letter to relatives or getting them an object of some sort. This could get annoying, but he had actually gotten quite a few interesting experiences out of it, so Ichigo supposed he didn't mind too much. But the ghosts who wanted to move on (or stay here) were the most annoying. He had no idea whatsoever what caused some ghosts to randomly vanish, and probably couldn't do anything about it even if he did. But the ghosts who worried about that were normally the most stubborn and bloody-minded of the lot. The only thing to do with those was to avoid them, and shake them off quickly if they did find you.

Once he was sure that he had lost the ghost, Ichigo slowed down to a more sedate pace. So the ghosts were tracking him by his hair? Maybe he should dye it a more normal color. No, if the school administration and peer pressure hadn't convinced him to dye it before this, no ghost stalkers would either. Still, maybe he should try talking to some of them. If he did them some favors, then maybe they could ward off some of the more zealous ghosts, like that salaryman. He had mentioned Yumi-chan, so that was probably a good place to start.

Yumi was a relatively new ghost. She had died only a few months ago, when an out of control driver had swerved off the road and hit her where she was playing on the sidewalk. She was one of the more cheerful ghosts, and would talk to everyone. Ichigo wandered over to the area that she could normally be found in. She generally stayed around the place where she died, and occasionally went home. Today however, Ichigo found her a couple of blocks away from her normal haunting grounds. Seeing him, the little girl hurried towards him and started babbling, "Oh, Ichigo, what am I going to do? Mom put those out, it was her nice vase that I'm never to touch, and now it's broken and I'll get in trouble, and those guys are mean, and they keep coming around…"

Ichigo sighed and grabbed her shoulder, shaking her a little. "Slow down, and tell me what happened calmly." She took a couple of sobbing breaths before explaining somewhat more coherently. Apparently, a group of delinquents had been hanging around the place her mother put grave markers out for her, and had desecrated the offering. "I'll go take care of them for you," he said scowling. "People should have more respect for the dead."

Yumi giggled quietly. "You only say that because you can see us, you know."

"No I don't."

There were a group of five delinquent thugs, along with an overturned flower vase. It was clear that it had been knocked over by the one who was trying to go tricks on a skateboard. Ichigo stretched out his leg and tripped the idiot, calling the attention of the other idiots to him. They attempted to menace him, asking if he wanted to die, until he kicked one of the in the face, hard enough to send him to his knees in pain. The others were looking apprehensive, and he kicked down another before drawing their attention to Yumi's vase. After all, discipline doesn't do anything unless the idiots know what they did wrong.

Scowling, Ichigo asked the kid who appeared to have the worst hygiene of the lot what he thought the vase was. Apparently he was slightly smarter than he looked, because he figured out that it was a grave offering without any hints from Ichigo. Still, that gained him absolutely no mercy, and he went down with another kick to the face. The other two crowded around their fallen brother, and Ichigo asked them the million dollar question, with a look of very calm rage "Why is the vase knocked over?" These two were even more stupid than stinky, because they actually had to think for a long moment before realizing that they had knocked it over. This called for a bit of a show.

"Well than you'd better apologized to her," Ichigo said, pointing to Yumi. Ichigo made a little mental twist, and channeled her forward. This was something that he had learned to do by accident, but if he concentrated on a ghost in a certain odd way, it was possible to make other people see them. He didn't do it very often, if only because the little old lady who lived three doors down was convinced that he was the next great spiritual medium and he didn't want to add any more fuel to that fire if he could help it. (Also, there was something really emotionally upsetting about showing ghosts to the people who they cared for in life). Still, this was harmless, and as the thugs ran away screaming apologies, very, very satisfying.

"I think we scared them enough that they won't come back," he told Yumi. "Sorry about using you like that." Ghost that he channeled often complained that it almost kindof hurt, which Ichigo supposed made sense. They weren't supposed to be seen by the living, after all.

"No, I asked you to help. Thanks. I think I can rest quietly now." The ghost smiled at him.

Ichigo casually waved goodbye, walking towards home.

Opening the door, he was greeted with a flying kick to the face by his father, screaming, "YOU'RE LATE!" Ichigo blearily wondered from the floor if his father knew that he had kicked several people in the face today or if this was just karma. "What do you think this you are, a delinquent? You know that dinner is at seven every night!" His father stood in a position of self-righteousness, lab coat billowing out behind him.

Rubbing his aching head, Ichigo jumped up to defend himself from both his father's attacks and his words. "Is that any way to greet someone who was helping to put a ghost to rest?" he shouted, dodging his father's fist.

"There can be no excuses for disrupting the order of this house. Prepare to pay. Especially as you are now bragging about your ability to see spirits." Isshin moved forward, landing a hit. Behind them, Karin and Yuzu were eating peacefully, like this was an everyday occurrence. To be fair, it actually was. At least Yuzu halfheartedly attempted to end the fight before being distracted by Karin's request for leftovers.

"Shut up! I didn't ask to see them!" Seriously, his father was weird. Why would you want to see ghosts? They were a lot of trouble. Fighting loose of his father's grasp, Ichigo yelled in righteous indignation, "The rules of this house are too strict! What kind of parent expects a highschool student home at seven every night?" Confident of his victory, Ichigo went to get food from Yuzu.

His youngest sister looked at him, or more specifically, the area behind him. "Ichigo, you've got another one." Ichigo turned, to learn that she was right. The salaryman who he thought he had lost earlier appeared to have found him, and was now hovering behind his left shoulder.

"You! When did you?" The ghost looked absolutely terrified (probably from the fight) and didn't answer. "It's always like this! I get rid of you guys over and over and there are always more."

Yuzu and Karin, as unsympathetic to his plight as always, went back to their conversation. Yuzu (like Dad) could barely see ghosts, and for some reason were slightly (or not so slightly) envious. Karin could see them very clearly, and knew the pain of having ghosts follow you around, although she was very good at not acknowledging them. You would think that she would understand his position, but no. She was always plotting ways to profit on his gift. Apparently, people could make good money as mediums even if they were false. If that was the case, she figured, then what about Ichigo who was a real medium? She was always planning séances. She was just telling them about her latest idea (Karakura Ghost Picnic- Frolic with Ghosts in the Winds of Summer) when Isshin tackled him. Again.

This was the absolute last straw, and throwing his father off, Ichigo announced that he was going to bed. Suiting action to words, he headed up, trailing the salaryman ghost behind him.

**Next Time: **Introducing Rukia and Ichigo's First Hollow


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach.

Several hours later, Ichigo was just finishing up his homework when he saw something fluttering in the corner of his eye. Turning to look closer, Ichigo was surprised to see a black butterfly fluttering around his room. He was wondering where it had come from when he saw a short young woman with a sword appear suddenly on the top of his desk.

Jumping lightly off of his desk without looking at him (which was probably a good thing, seeing as he was gaping in shock), the stern looking woman said quietly and ominously, "It is near…" What is near? Are we being burglarized? She is wearing all black and probably came in through the window when he wasn't looking. Ichigo realized that he should probably be defending his home from this mysterious intruder, so he kicked her with the strength born from many random attacks.

The woman looked utterly shocked, which was a definite improvement over her stern look. "You can see me?" she said incredulously. "You kicked me!"

"Of course I can see you," Ichigo said impatiently. "So, are you a burgl-urg." Ichigo was cut off by his father's surprise attack from behind which knocked the wind out of him.

"Keep it down!" The only possible reaction to that was to punch the madman into the ground, before ranting about how he was only protecting the house from intruders. The black-clad girl had gotten up, and Ichigo absently noted that she was wearing old fashioned samurai garb.

"What intruder? I don't see anything Ichigo. Is this another way for you to rub your face in the fact that I can't see ghosts?" Isshin looked like he was about to burst into tears. Ichigo took another look at the samurai woman. She could be a ghost…

Ichigo forced his father out with another kick, before frowning at the woman. "I am a shinigami. Normal people cannot see me." She said proudly.

Ichigo sat down at his short table. "Explain who you are and what you are doing here," he demanded, looking at her closely. The woman also took a seat, although she sat in the much more formal seiza position. Ichigo noted that she sat seiza with her knees apart, like a man, instead of together which was more common for women. Along with samurai robes, she also had a katana at her waist. If she is a ghost_,_ he thought, then she's probably a very old one. Or just a cosplayer.

"As I said, I am a Shinigami. I have come to this town in pursuit of a malevolent ghost. It is my responsibility to find this spirit and destroy it before it can harm others," the woman said. Definitely a cosplayer_._

"I don't believe you," he told her. It was actually funny how shocked she was at his reasonable objections to her story. "That violates almost everything I've ever observed about how the world of ghosts works. I've always been able to see ghosts, but I've never seen a shinigami before. Points for making up this elaborate fantasy though, brat." He almost felt bad about saying this. After all it's not her fault that she's dead and needs to invent wild stories to cope with that fact. He started shooing her back towards the window, hoping to get her to play her games somewhere else.

She whirled around angrily, saying, "How dare you! First Bakudo, Sai." Ichigo arms went behind his back, and he lost his balance and fell over. That…violated all of his theories. The woman is a witch. He tried to move his arms, and failed utterly. The salaryman ghost, who Ichigo had completely forgotten about, was hiding beneath his bed, looking terrified. Even for someone who can see ghosts, this situation was getting very surreal.

"What did you do to me!"

"That is a binding spell, magic that only shinigami can use. You are now unable to move," the woman looked very vindictive, and Ichigo wondered what he had done to offend her. Even if she was a shinigami, and considering the state of his arms, he was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt on that subject, surely she was used to people not believing that story. "I may look like this, but I am over ten times older than you. How dare you call me a little brat. I should kill you for that insult. Fortunately for you, the laws of Soul Society forbid the random killing of the living." Someone appeared to be sensitive about their height.

Despite what she had just told him, the witch drew her sword. She brought it down, a look of pure fury on her face. Ichigo desperately screamed "Wait," only for her to actually hit the salaryman ghost on the forehead with the hilt of the sword.

The ghost still looked terrified, and he begged her not to send him to hell. The witch told him gently, "It is not hell that awaits you. The soul society is a restful place." Her expression was almost gentle. The ghost disappeared into white light. Ichigo's surrealism o'meter went up another couple of notches.

"What did you just do," he asked. "Where did that ghost go?" He needed answers, and answers that actually made sense.

"It is called konso, or as you would say, I sent him to heaven." Fortunately for Ichigo's sanity, the woman seemed quite ready to explain to him, even if she did insult him while doing it. Rummaging through his school supplies, she picked out a pad of paper and a marker, a quickly sketched something. "I suppose you believe me now. You should be glad that I'm willing to instruct children. There are two types of souls. Normal ghosts," she pulled a page off, showing Ichigo a terrible picture of a bunny face surrounded by flowers, "are called pluses. They are good spirits. Bad spirits," another page, of a teddy bear face surrounded by lightning, "are called hollows. They eat the souls of other spirits and occasionally attack the living. Do you have any questions?"

"Yes. Why are your drawings so bad?" Seriously, by her illustrations, we live in a cartoon world. The witch apparently wasn't amused by that comment, and showed her annoyance by leaning over and drawing on his face. He attempted to stop her, but unfortunately, he was still caught up in the spell. He could only hope that she didn't draw her animals on his face, and he tried to rub the marker off on the floor. The woman was evil.

"I will continue. Shinigami have two duties." A picture of a rabbit face going through a thick black line. "To guide pluses into the soul society and to destroy Hollows." A bear face with a big X over it. There was something bad about this, other than the terrible drawings at least. She's looking for a Hollow… Ichigo went cold.

"Are you saying that this Hollow is around here now!?" His sisters were downstairs. Is this woman telling him that they are in danger?

"Well, yes," the shinigami said, looking a little embarrassed.

"Then why are you still talking to me! Go and kill it," he could only think of red hair over his shoulder, and blood.

"I can't feel it's presence," the shinigami admitted.

Ichigo was about to take the apparently incompetent shinigami to task when he hear a terrible roar. It defied description, and Ichigo knew instinctively that whatever gave it was terrible and deadly. Oddly, the woman was ignoring it, and it looked like she kept talking below it. "What are you waiting for? Can't you hear the roar? Go and kill it!"

The shinigami looked surprised. "Roar? I cannot…" Apparently it hit her all at once, for she started to rush out of his room.

"Wait! Is that he Hollow?"

"It is the Hollow. I will deal with it and return."

"It's attacking my family! Release me," he begged, desperate to protect his family.

"You fool! There's nothing you can do to help. If you tried you would only raise the number of casualties. Stay here and let me deal with this," the shinigami went to open the door, only to find Karin on the floor on the other side.

She looked terrible, a bruise on her forehead. "It hasn't gotten to you," she panted. "Dad just fell over in a spurt of blood… Yuzu and I were attacked…It was huge… I came to warn you…I could barely see it…Dad and Yuzu couldn't at all...Ichigo, run away before it sees you," as she slumped over. The shinigami leaned over her, checking her.

"Do not worry. She is merely unconscious." Ichigo was glad to know that his little sister was still alive, but that didn't mean that she wasn't hurt. He couldn't afford to be held by the shinigami's spell. He strained against it desperately, ignoring the woman's insistence that he stop. Soon enough he found a weakness and shattered the bonds. Grabbing his baseball bat, Ichigo hurried past the woman, and ran down the stairs.

Downstairs was a terrible scene. There was blood spattered all over, and his father's body lay bleeding by the wall. There was a hole in the wall, and through it Ichigo could see the outline of a great hulking figure. It moved, giving Ichigo a better look at it. It was enormous, covered with plates of what looked like bone, with a large hole in the middle of its chest. Worst of all was its face, which was utterly inhuman, especially the teeth, which were just too big and numerous. He had been expecting a human spirit, not a monster like this. He was shaking, and found that he couldn't move.

Then he saw Yuzu, held in its monstrous grip. There was blood on her cheek, and Ichigo was gripped with sheer fury. He griped the baseball bat tightly, before attacking the thing. It knocked him aside with a single punch, breaking his bat in the process. It loomed above him, and Ichigo was certain that he was going to die, just like the rest of his family.

Until a black blur went over him, and the shinigami cut deeply into the Hollow's arm, freeing Yuzu. Ichigo caught her. She was unconscious, and Ichigo thought for a second that she was already dead, until the shinigami yelled, "Do not worry. None of your families souls have been eaten."

Ichigo almost couldn't believe it. Karin was ok, yes, but what about his father? "Wait! Don't these things eat soul? Why is it here if its not eating souls?"

The Hollow was thrashing around in pain, clutching at its maimed arm. The woman stood facing away from him, holding her sword in a way that screamed _On Guard_ at him. She answered without turning around. "Hollows eat the souls of the dead. They rarely go after those still living. But they are drawn to high spiritual levels. I have never heard of a human who could see Shinigami, much less break a binding spell. Your spiritual levels must be very high. It is probably after you."

"What?" Ichigo hoped that she had not said what he thought she had said. "Are you saying that I'm the reason that my family was hurt? The reason Dad is almost dead, and Karin and Yuzu are bloody and unconscious?" He was shouting now, not bothering to care about the shocked and apologetic look on the shinigami's face as she turned back to face him. All of his focus was on the monster behind her. It had recovered from its pain at it arm's injury, and was coming straight towards them. It knocked the woman out of the way with a terrible swipe of its arm. She crashed into the wall with such force she knocked some of the stone down, surely unconscious.

That was another person who was injured because this _thing_ wanted to kill him. Enough people had gotten hurt because of him.

He screamed, "That enough! You want my soul? Then come for me! DON'T GO AFTER ANYONE ELSE!"

Apparently it could listen, because it came right at him. He braced himself, eyes open, ready to punch this thing, when there was a flash of black in front of him…

And the Shinigami was between him and the Hollow, black robes quickly soaking with blood. The monsters jaws were buried in her stomach and shoulders, and her sword was wedged in the mouth. The Hollow released her with a mighty roar, and she fell to the ground. Ichigo rushed over, scared that she might be dead.

She was still alive, and struggling to get up. She saw him, and said weakly, "You're an idiot. You couldn't possibly have harmed it. Were you thinking that it would just go away if you scarified yourself? You fool." She was right. She was this wonderfully self-sacrificing person, and now she was badly hurt, all because of his stupidity.

"I'm sorry. It's just" He was going to attempt to justify his actions when she cut him off.

"I would normally say not to worry about it, but I am now to badly hurt to fight." There was the ghost of a smile on her face. "We can now only wait to become its food.

She nodded towards the Hollow. It was still screaming, but considering the way it had eventually ignored its arm, it would probably be coming after them again soon enough. It was all his fault. If he hadn't been so stupid, the woman could have killed it before he had distracted her by yelling.

He was bought out of his growing funk by the Shinigami asking weakly, "Do you want to save your family?"

Ichigo felt hope rush in with the woman's words. "Is there a way to save them? Tell me! I'll do anything."

"There is a way." She had propped herself up against the wall, holding her sword out. She pointed it at him and said, "You must become a Shinigami."

Hope started to wither. "How can I become a shinigami?" He wasn't a ghost, or whatever other sort of weird supernatural creature this woman was.

"I will pierce your heart with my zankaputou, while channeling half of my powers. You will become a shinigami temporarily. It will allow you to fight the Hollow on equal terms."

He wasn't sure. "Are you sure that this will work."

"No. There is a high chance that you will die, even with your reiatsu. However, there is no other way." At least she was honest about it. "There is also no time," she said pointedly.

They were distracted by a whimper from Yuzu. He rushed over to her quickly. She murmered, "Ichigo…Go away Ichigo…it's dangerous…run."

That was the end of it. His family, not to mention the shinigami woman, was counting on him. And really, there was no question. He knew that he would be doing this the second that she mentioned it. Ichigo walked back over to the woman and told her, "Give me the sword, Shinigami. Let's try this."

She smiled through her pain. "It's not Shinigami. It's Kuchiki Rukia."

"And I'm Kurosaki Ichigo. Let's hope this isn't our last meeting." The Hollow was recovering, and had started to shamble towards them.

Ichigo put the point of Rukia's sword at his chest, then reached down and put his hands above hers at the hilt. He had the weirdest feeling that this had happened before. Rukia barely had any strength in her arms at all. It was as much him throwing himself on her blade as her impaling him, but the sword went straight through.

There was a moment of terrible pain throughout his body, then the most spectacular feeling of lightness imaginable. He almost blacked out from the sensations, but managed not to. When he opened his eyes, the Hollow was almost upon him and Rukia. There was a sword in his hand. He swung wildly, taking off its arm. It roared, then lunged at them again. Another swing made a large wound over its chest. The sword felt wrong. It was unbalanced, and far too light. _Of course it feels wrong, this is a borrowed sword._ It was probably made for the girl's height, and she was a midget. He scored another line through the monster. He was amazed that it was still standing after all of this abuse.

Then he made an overhead swing, cutting deeply into its face. That appeared to do it, as the monster started to fall apart and disintegrate, screaming the entire time. He waited, unconsciously taking the same on guard position that Rukia had used earlier until he was sure it was gone. Then he turned back to Rukia and Yuzu. He had barely taken one step towards them when the black and purple sparks in the corners of his eyes swarmed upwards. Then all he saw was the ground, rushing towards him as he blacked out.

**Coming up:** One really weird dream, and the day after's events. Maybe Orihime's brother, who knows.


End file.
